Air conditioning unit, including subcooling means



5, 1953 J. R. DEL SIGN RE 2,649,701

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, INCLUDING SUB-COOLING MEANS Filed July 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlG.l T

QIZENTOR BY I 49M M g- 1953 J. R. DEL SIGNORE 2,649,701

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, INCLUDING SUB-COOLING MEANS Filed July 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4.

IN V EN TOR.

BY W MZ Patented Aug. 25, 1953 James'R. Del Signore, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to CarrienCorporation, Syracuse, N.- Y., a coma f ration of Delaware Application July 1, 1950, Serial No. 171,598

I, 3 Claims. (01. 62-140) p This invention relates to air conditioning units and more particularly to an air conditioning unit including a sub-cooling member adapted to place liquid refrigerant in heat exchange relation with moisture precipitated from air being conditioned. The chief object" f the present invention is to provide an'air conditioning unit for conditioning an enclosure in which the moisture condensed by the cooling coil of'the'unit is utilized effectively tosub-cool liquid refrigerant prior to its supply to the evaporator coil.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning unit including a spiral coil employed for sub-cooling liquid refrigerant prior to its supply to the evaporator coil and means for flinging moisture condensed by the cooling coil upon the spiral coil to sub-cool liquid refrigerant passing therethrough.v I

A further object's to provide'an air conditioning 'unit'containing a sub-cooling coil of novel and, improved design. Other objects of themvention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to an air conditioning unit which comprises in combination an evap orator, a condenser operatively associated with the evaporator and adapted to receive refrigerant therefrom, a sub-cooling member placed adjacent the condenser adapted to receive refrigerant in liquid form substantially free of gas from the condenser, a line for delivering'liquid refrigerant from the sub-cooling coil to the evaporator, means for passing air in heat exchange relation with the evaporator to'cool the air thereby precipitating moisture therefrom, a sump in which the precipitated moisture collects, said sump being placed adjacent the condenser, a fan for passing air in heat exchange relation with the condenser, means for operating the fan and means for flinging moisture from the sump in heat exchange relation with the sub-cooling member. Preferably, the sub-cooling member comprises a spirally wound coil so constructed and arranged that the water thereon tends to spread around the spirals thereby increasing the rate of heat transfer.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the air conditioning unit of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the refrigeration system embodied in the air conditioning unit of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the condenser housing broken away to illustratethe sub-cooling member; and i Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modification of the invention.

Referring to the attached drawing, there is shown in-Figure 1 the air conditioning unit of the present invention. The unit comprises a pan, 2 :upon which is supported a partition 3 separating the unit intoan evaporator compartment 4 and a condenser compartment 5. It will be appreciated when the unit is in use, a casing 5 shown in section is disposed about the condenser and evaporator compartments to form f the enclosure. Such a casing may be a single cover or, if, desired, separate covers may be provided for the evaporator and condenser compartments.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a motor. compressor unit 6 disposed in compartment 5 and connected by line I to condenser 8. Condenser 8 is connectedto a sub-cooling coil 9 by line I0; the sub-cooling coil 9 being connected through a capillary tube II tothe evaporator l2 of the refrigeration system. Evaporator I2 is connected by line l3 to an accumulator I4 which in'turn is connected by line I5 to the motor compressor unit 6. 1 v

Suitable openings, as indicated by the. arrows, are provided in the casing to permit fan I6, to draw airinto'evaporator compartment 4 and to discharge such air through evaporator I2 inheat exchange relation with refrigerant therein to cool the same, the cooled air being discharged into the enclosure in which the unit is placed. Passage of air through the evaporator I2 cools the air thereby precipitating moisture therefrom, the moisture dropping upon pan 2.

Fan I6 may be actuated by means of motor N. If desired, of course, fan I6 and the condenser fan may be mounted upon the shaft of the same motor.

A fan I8 is placed in compartment 5 to draw air through openings in the casing and to discharge such air from the compartment through the condenser 8 to condense refrigerant passing therethrough. Fan I8 may be driven by means of a motor I9. A slinger 20 may be mounted upon the hub of fan I8 or the shaft of motor I9 for a purpose hereinafter disclosed.

Disposed adjacent fan I8 is sub-cooling member 9. Sub-cooler 9 preferably consists of a spirally wound coil 2| as shown in Figure 3, extending vertically adjacent fan It and slinger 2B. A sump 22 is formed in pan 2 below slinger 20. Moisture precipitated from the air by evapsub-cooler 2 l, the water tending to spread around the spirals of the sub-cooler to permit operation in a wet condition with high transfer rates thereby utilizing efiectively moisture condensed by evaporator [2 from the air being cooled to subcool liquid refrigerant prior to its supply to the evaporator. t 7

While slinger sprays water upon sub-cooler 2|, it also flings or tosses moisture into the air stream being directed through condenserfl'. Thus refrigerant in the condenser is evaporative'ly subcooled, increasing the efiiciency of the unit and the condensate precipitated by theevaporator is evaporated into the stream of air being discharged from the enclosure.

While I have described sub-cooler 2| as consisting of a spirally wound coil it will be appreciated as shown in Figures 3 and 4, various forms of such coil may be employed. For example, a sub-cooler 23 may be provided consisting of a spirally woundfcoil section 25 connected by a straight section 26 to a second spirally wound coil section 21. Such construction likewise assures that water sprayed thereon tends to spread around the spirals to increase the rate of heat transfer and permits the sub-cooler to be placed closer to the fan when limited space is available.

The present invention provides an air conditioning unit of low cost and simple construction in which sub-cooling of liquid refrigerant prior to its supply to the evaporator coil is effected by means of the moisture condensed from the air being cooled. My invention permits a large amount of tubing to be provided in a sub-cooler which requires only a small area, thus providing a compact assembly. The sub-cooler so provided presents minimum air restriction to the condenser coil. The manner in which Water spreads upon the spirals of the sub-cooler permits operation of the sub-cooler in a wet condition with high transfer rates.

While I have described a preferred embodiment oi my invention, it will be understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

' I. In an air conditioning unit, the comb-ination of an evaporator, a condenser operativel'y' associated with the evaporator and adapted. to re- 4 ceive refrigerant therefrom, a spirally wound sub-cooling coil adapted to receive refrigerant in liquid form substantially free of gas from the condenser, a line for delivering liquid refrigerant from the sub-cooling coil to the evaporator, means for passing air in heat exchange relation with the evaporator to cool the air thereby precipitating moisture therefrom, a sump in which the precipitated moisture collects, said sump being placed adjacent to the condenser, a fan for passing air in heat exchange relation with the condenser, means for operating the fan, and a slinger for flinging moisture from the sump into heat exchange relation with the sub c'ooling coil, said coil extending. in a vertical direction adjacent the slinger.

2. An air conditioning unit according to claim '1 in which the coil comprises two substantially vertically extending, spirally wound sections connected by a straight section, one spirally wound section being placed under the other spirally wound section, the spirally wound sections being so constructed and arranged that water there'- on tends to spread around the spirals thereby in creasing the rate otheat transfer.

In an air conditioning unit, the combination of an evaporator, a condenser operatively associated'with' the evaporator and adapted to receive refrigerant therefrom, a spirally wound, subcooling coil adapted to receive refrigerant in liqui-d form substantially free of gas from the" con-- denser, a line for delivering liquid refrigerant from the sub-cooling coi'l" to'the evaporator, a fan for passing air in heat exchange relation with the evaporator to cool the air thereby precipitating moisture therefrom, a sump in which the precipitated moisture collects, said sump being placed adjacent the condenser; a second fan' for passing air in heat exchange relation with the condenser, means for operating the fans, and a slinger for flinging moisture from the sump upon the coil, said coil extending in a substantially vertical direction and being placed in the same vet'- tical plane as the slinger in a position to receive moisture from the sump flung by the slinger, the moisture: tend'ing to spread around the spirals of the coil.

JANIES" v R}. DEL SIGNOHLEZ References Cited in the file of this patent UNI-TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,218,597. Ashley fin-N Oct. 22-, 1 940 2,293,360 Reilly Aug. 1-8, 1942 

